Interview With The Director: Halla Nejm (“Syria,” 2016, Belgium)

“This film has a particular story because the subject is the recruitment of young Belgians in jihad […]”

Interview With Director Halla Nejm (“Syria,” 2016, Belgium)

“Syria” (2016, Belgium) screens Saturday, April 22, 2017 as part of the session “Twists and Turns.”

Synopsis:Told through body language and dance a young, “Syria” is the story of an isolated man who leaves his home country to join a foreign war in the name of a god.

What inspired you to make this film?
“Violence and crime of the modern age and their destructive effects, especially on women.”

What do you want American audiences to know about this film or about the subject matter?
“The film talks about isolation and lonely people who are particular fragile. A total of 500 Belgians have left or returned from Iraq and Syria in the last few years, 128 of whom have returned, 77 were killed and 62 arrested in their project either in Belgium or in another country such as Turkey, entry door into Syria. A total of 30,000 foreign jihadists are reported to be in Syria and Iraq. This short film, through the language of the body and the dance, tells the story of a young isolated man, who is going to be enshrined in a war in the name of a god …”

Is it difficult to make films in your home country? Why or why not?
“The most difficult is not to make them but to show them. The distribution networks are closed. Money is the key…”

Director Bio:
Halla Nejm is originally from Charleroi (Blacktown), Belgium. He started out as a comedian before migrating to the Belgian capital at the age of 18, where he discovered the incredible world of theater and cinema.